1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to handcuffs for preventing double-locking, and more particularly to handcuffs for preventing double-locking, in which a stopper is prevented from being displaced by shocks while handcuffs are carried, and thus a detent, which is meshed with the ratchet of a swivel hoop, is not locked, thereby allowing the swivel hoop to be rapidly pivoted and locked under emergency circumstances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, such handcuffs are locked around the wrists of a suspect or a person to be taken into custody, and are used to restrict free action as well as to prevent self-injury and escape. A variety of paired handcuffs have been proposed, each side of which comprises two halves, one half of which is coupled by a swivel hoop, so as to be locked around the wrists, and include a key for unlocking the same.
Most of the handcuffs include a pair of semi-circular stationary hoops, which are integrally formed to have rectangular bodies and are separated from each other by a predetermined interval by means of a spacing member on one side of each handcuff, a semi-circular swivel hoop, which is coupled to ends of the stationary hoops so as to pivot about a pivot pin and is provided with a ratchet having a plurality of teeth on an outer surface thereof on the other side of each handcuff, a detent and a stopper, which are interposed between the bodies of the stationary hoops, have a travel passage along which the swivel hoop can travel, and function to lock and unlock the swivel hoop, and a spring, which resiliently holds the detent and the stopper against each other.
The conventional handcuffs constructed in this way are carried in the state in which the ratchet of the swivel hoop is meshed with the ratchet of the detent installed between the bodies of the stationary hoops so as to be rotated in one direction, and are used to perform a locking operation under emergency circumstances in such a manner that the swivel hoop is quickly rotated by a half turn about one end of the stationary hoops, and then the ratchet of the swivel hoop is again meshed with the ratchet of the detent installed between the bodies of the stationary hoops.
In other words, while the handcuffs are carried, the stopper, installed between the bodies of the stationary hoops, is moved by an external shock, thus preventing the detent from moving and the swivel hoop from locking. Such prevention of the swivel hoop from being locked on the detent is referred to as double-locking prevention.
However, most of the conventional handcuffs, including those disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0539171 and Korean Utility Model Registration Nos. 20-0216208, 20-0344023, and 20-0377082, include a stopper formed of a leaf spring so as to be movable left and right in a spacing member, and a bent end of the stopper is weakly locked on the locking step of a detent. Hence, when a shock is transmitted from the side of the bodies of the stationary hoops, the bent end of the stopper rides over the locking step of the detent, and thus the support piece of the stopper supports the free end of the detent. This causes a problem in which the detent is fixed, thus locking the ratchet of the swivel hoop, i.e. the double-locking operation occurs.
Further, the handcuffs disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,064 are designed such that the locking step of a stopper is locked on the locking step of a detent on one side thereof, and such that a cap installed resiliently by a spring is locked in an arcuate recess of the bottom surface of the stopper on the other side thereof. However, as soon as a shock is applied from the side of the stationary hoops, the stopper is forced to move while pressing the cap. This movement causes the support piece of the stopper to support the top surface of the free end of the detent. This also results in a problem in which the detent is fixed, thus locking the ratchet of the swivel hoop, i.e. in that the double-locking operation occurs.